The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-09-26
a BURGLAR MINSTREL.
A Musical Crook Prefers Stealing to
Earning an Honest Living.


From the Syracuse Journal.
Syracuse was one of the first places that
Thatcher, Primrose & Vests MINISTRIES
struck at the opening os their season in the
fall of 1884. They gave good show, and
not the least attractive feature of the per-
Torrance was the musical moke" act of
Wood, Beasley, and Weston Brothers. They
made music on everything from halrpln
to hand organ, and filled the hearts of the
big audience with delight Bnt next after
noon the same people who had listened
entranced to the music were reading III the
Journal an account of the arrest of Sam
uei 6. Beasley, ono OF the team, fer
burglary There had been several attempts
made during the preceding day or two to
enter houses in the ity. Among them were
the residences of Bruce s. Aldrich, III South
Salina street; Geo. @. Campbell in Warren
street, and the Rev Norman Seaver, in West
Genesee street. All members of the police
force were instructed by Chief Wright to
keep their eyes peeled, and they did it. The
night of the minstrel show Special Officer
Foster was patrolling Warren street, just
above Fayette. AS he passed "a, big
boarding house just opposite the Grouse
building, he heard woman scream "Shoot
him shoot him!" A fellow came running
out of the yard and fell plump into the
officers arms. Breaking away, he started
to run: but levelled revolver and an order
to throw up his hands brought him TO full
stop. He said:
This is all right, officer; it is only girl
racket Let me 60 Take my gold watch
and let ME GO"
Foster wouldn't have it, and escorted his
prisoner to police headquarters. 1t was
Beasley, the minstrel man, and he had been
trying to get into bedroom window of the
boarding house The proprietor Edward
n nd fa hp
They had been awakened by the noise Beas
ley made in opening the blinds. Cameron
drew q revolver from under the pillow.
Beasey hurried away, and Mrs. Cameron
cried "shoot him" When arrested Beasley
had an elegant watch. but only few cents
of change in his pockets His claim was
that he had met on the street a girl named
Mary Lawlor, who worked in the house. He
urged her to smoke cigarette, but they
had no matches She told him there were
matches on the bedroom window sill, and
he climbed up to get them.
This yarn would hardly wash, as Beasley
had matches OF half a dozen different sorts
III his pockets He set up n defense which
was very tiimsy and which he changed i'll
some particular every hour. The girl, of
course, denied the truth of his story entirely.
The company went away and left him,
which was presumptive evidence that they
knew him for a crook. Beasey's matter
went before the grand jury, but they didn't
indict. He stayed here for while making
music at Cal Wagners theatre He was a
well dressed fellow with fearfully hard
face which was smooth shaven, 1t i'll
comported with the lamblike innocence he
professed. He was a skillfut musician,
having fair mastery of almost all lnstru-
ments His English birth, and breeding
were evident from his speech. Finally he
disappeared from the town.
Now he turns up again in Cedar Rapids,
Ia, and this time lie won't get away, for
the evidence is all clear against him. A
paper published there gives the following
facts concerning the affair: On the night
of Saturday, Aug. IS, Haverly's Ministries,
of which Beasley was a member, played i'll
Cedar Rapids. About o'clock in the morn
ing Beasley was found by an officer i'll the
suburbs, aud when arrested pretended to be
intoxicated and was looking for his hotel.
The officer directed him there, and nothing
| more was thought of the matter until next
| day, when the discovery was made that
house had been burglarIzed fully half mile
| from the place where Beasley was found
| The burglar had been discovered 10y the
| owner OF the house. who saw him plainly
and described him well The officers con
cuded the minstrel was the man wanted.
Two watches which had been taken from
| the house before the burglar was discovered
were found in the grass on the spot where
the officer had met Beasley, half an hour
after the burglary.
On Sunday afternoon the authorities were
unable to find him, but about 3 O'Clock
Monday morning he was found in the street
| and in the immediate vicinity of four at
| tempted burglaries Upon arrest he was
| inspected by the man and woman in whose
house the burglary of Saturday night or
Sunday morning had occurred. They
positively Unidentified him as the man they
saw in their room. 1t is considered impossible
for Beasley to escape conviction. The
authorities i'll Cedar Rapids have received
| advices from H. Roster of LOG Hudson
| street, Hobollen, N. j., saying that while
be was on the Pacific coast on business,
some actors arrived in Hoboken Beasey
was among them and boarded at Rosters
house. He won the confidence of Rosters
pretty daughter, aged IL, and married her.
| When the father came back and found
Beasley quartered at his house he didn't like
it. Beasley left and went West with the
| Haverly troupe.
The musical crook is still in custody at
Cedar Rapids, and from all appearances is
| likely to remain so.
A Srnuppler's Musel1rn